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the eye Singapore American High School

Formerly available only in certain classes or in the library, wireless internet can now be accessed anywhere on the high school campus. Wireless internet is available on all four levels of the high-school, with extra routers in the cafeteria and library.

Students can either bring their own laptops from home or they can rent laptops from the school for use throughout the day. A laptop from home; however, does not equate to freedom on the internet. In order to use the internet through their personal laptops, students must sign an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP), similar to the codes of conduct agreed to at the beginning of the year concerning the use of school desktops.

Every While the internet laptop that provides us with a lot logs on to the network will of information, it’s first have to also potentially a big be registered distraction. with the IT department, Erik Torjesen which will Social studies teacher record that computer ’s specific Media Access Control (MAC) address in order to monitor who goes where on the internet.

Students wishing to use their own by the school at any time to ensure laptops have to take them to the Tech reliability, integrity, security and Help Center (room 307K), where appropriate use.” their computers are registered and The biggest problem the wireless configured for access to the wireless will be facing is bandwidth demand. network. A small SAS logo sticker “In the beginning it will be more is placed on the bottom of students’ than enough, and we’ll make sure that laptops as proof that they have been its continually growing along with registered. the demand.” Tech Coordinator Jerry The IT department will be able Szombathy said. to monitor where people go on The IT department has partnered the internet and who downloads with Lenovo computers, who what, just like on the desktops. The displayed and sold laptops at school Acceptable Use Policy states that on May 6 and 7. Lenovo sold 25 “networks should not be considered laptops during the two day display, confidential and may be monitored but more importantly it has generated

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April 15, 2008/vol. 27 no. 6

Gotcha covered Campus fully wired for Internet access by Lorenzo Holt

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Freshman Jess Lin surfs the Net in the wide open spaces of the caf ’s lower level during her free. Photo by Mark Clemens

interest and awareness. Since the exhibition, the Tech Center has been receiving phone calls from parents and students interested in purchasing laptops to be used at school. Students and their parents are privy to SASonly deals on three Lenovo laptop models and one desktop.

Lenovo will also set up a Service Center near the Tech Room where they will provide 4-hour, at-school servicing. Students can bring their laptops to the in-school Service Center and have their laptops returned to them – fixed – within four hours.

Students will be able to use their

laptops whenever and wherever they want during their free periods and breaks, but laptop use in the classroom is at each teacher’s discretion. The chief worry regarding laptops in the classroom is the distraction that it poses to students during a lesson.

“I’d be fine with using laptops when it’s applicable in class,” math teacher Karl Wischki said. “But I don’t think I’d let the kids keep it out when it’s not necessary or useful.”

“Well, I see a lot of benefits to laptops in class, but there are a lot of problems with it as well.” social studies teacher Erik Torjesen said,

“While the internet provides us with a lot of information, it’s also potentially a big distraction.”

Students also seem to reflect the concern that, while laptops may help a lot during class and prove useful, the potential for distraction is always there.

“I’m sure a lot of kids will abuse this privilege we have, but I think that when looking at the big picture, laptops will definitely help the effectiveness of our classes and how we learn in school.” junior Dustin Roberts said. lorenzo.theeye@yahoo.com

Freshmen debaters hold own in Mediacorp studio arena Yelling matches with family members prepared freshmen Preeti Varathan, Kriti Agarwal, Monica Xie and sophomore Aarti Sreenivas for verbal jousting in Mediacorp’s Emmy nominated “The Arena.”

Before their their debut in competition with Singapore secondary schools, none of the girls had formally debated.

“I thought the girls did awesome,” said girls’ coach and sponsor Rick Bisset. “Being on TV, especially as a first-year debater, with that constant pressure is really stressful.”

“The Arena” first aired in January 2007. The idea is to involve secondary students, 16 years old and younger in Singapore, in television debates that touch on topical issues of today.

The girls formed their team back

MICA (P) 183/10/2007

In the first round of this season’s The Arena, freshman Kriti Agarwal faces off with her opponent from Madrasah A-Maarif Al-Ismaiah. Channel 5 host Jason Chan introduces the competitors. In a close contest SAS squeaked by to win. Photo courtesy of Mediacorp.

in September when they joined debate at SAS, and, in the face of busy SAS schedules, the four found time to work on their speeches and team strategy which eventually helped them win their first debate on the show.

We’re really good at working as a team.” Varathan said in an interview for “The Arena”. “Strong team work is probably our X-factor.”

The biggest fear for the foursome was their level of experience. Prior

to the beginning of this school year the girls had never formally debated.

When they were offered the chance to try out, they were not sure what to expect, especially since they were going up against schools that had been on “The Arena” previously.

The initial tryouts consisted of 60 teams from different schools across Singapore. After the audition rounds it came down to only 16 for the beginning of the show. SAS was one

of those teams.

“It meant quite a bit to all of us; it was our first year and we were going against other returning experienced teams,” Sreenivas said, “We really wanted to make it, but we wouldn’t have been shocked if we didn’t.”

The girls won in a close contest in their first aired show against Madrasah A-Maarif AlIsmaiah with the motion, “new media new dangers.”

The judges said that the SAS girls were nervous, and that their opposing team had been more confident speakers. Toward the end of the debate it became more of an accusatory match about the facts each team used to support their arguments.

“What I did not like about this round is it turned into a numbers game,” said Gaurav Keerthi, judge and president of the Debate Association of Singapore. “This is not about trading facts and figures, as I said before.

Analyze and interpret the logic behind

by Alex Boothe

the data that you are seeing; delve into the strategic issues,” Despite their uneasiness, the girls pulled through with their content and team strategy for a win that night.

The girls made it all the way to the semi-finals. The motion for their final debate was “national identity.”

The girls lost to their opponents, Hwa Chong Secondary, who were runners-up last season when they lost to United World College. The motion of their final debate was the issue of whether Singapore suffers from a lack of clear national identity. The final score was 2-1.

“We really didn’t know what the judges wanted and we were still pretty new to the whole thing,” Varathan said. “We just gave it our best.”

Although the debate continues on Channel 5, those shows were pre-recorded weeks ahead of time.

The winners will not be known to television audiences until later this month. alexandra.theeye@yahooww.com

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Schedule conflicts force students to rethink passions

by Ann Lee When sophomore Ji Sun Yu first laid out her four-year plan her freshman year, she had expected to take art for all four years. That plan has not turned out as she had hoped.

“I’m dropping art next year in order to fill all my credits,” Yu said.

“I really want to continue art, but it just isn’t possible to enroll in an art course for four years and fill all my other credits.”

As the season for choosing courses for next year closed, many students had to make hard choices to fit their electives and required courses into their schedules.

Students who want to study art, music or dance are having a hard time fitting their elective courses into their schedules. While most students want to take four continuous years of electives throughout their high school year, many faced conflicts when scheduling course credits required for graduation. Students must take two semesters of visual performance, one semester of computer, one semester of business and five semesters of physical education.

Core classes - English, science, math, language and social studies take up five periods in the schedule.

Most students exceed these core requirements by taking additional math and language courses.

Counselors and parents favor this

“ practice as leverage for entrance to the best universities. With a limited schedule, students face a dilemma - in order to fit in their graduation requirements, they must drop a semester, or year of electives.

“There is a good percentage of students who have this kind of problem,” choral director Nanette Devens said.

Strings teacher Steve Bonnette will lose some of his best musicians

next year.

“There is a significant number of people who have an interest and passion, but because of their schedules they have had to take a year off,” he said.

Bonentte said people who were deemed suitable for concert mistress/master have had to make the decision of not enrolling in the class next year.

“If students have to stop taking

I really want to continue art, but it just isn’t possible to enroll in an art course for four years and fill all my other credits.

”

sophomore Ji Sun Yu

ensemble class for a year, they are definitely missing out on a great experience,” Devens said. “Music ensemble gives a sense of unity and teaches students how to blend in, how to be part of a group. It’s a unique experience that can only be given at SAS.”

“It’s bad for students like me who are enthusiastic about art because it cuts our flow,” sophomore Ben Langford, who won first place for the Interim photo contest, said. “ Taking an year off my art course would be a major drawback for me.”

Both students and teachers who were interviewed agreed that the credit requirements should be reviewed.

“I wish the P.E. requirements were less, Yu said.” “I had a really hard time figuring out my schedule because my art classes and P.E. classes clashed against each other.”

Counselor Beth Kramer said that for many students, their important elective courses conflict with their required courses.

“The counselors would like to see the graduation requirements dropped to eight,” Kramer said.

Counselor Dale Ford, while agreeing that the requirements should be reviewed, said that the graduation requirements exist because the SAS education system wants students to receive a wellrounded education.

“Universities want well- rounded students who have received a broad education,” he said.

Bonnette understands but said that “students should allowed to pursue their passion. ann.theeye@gmail.com

Despite poor practice turnouts Knowledge Bowl-ers approach target score

by Akhilesh Pant “A parhelion is a bright spot on the side of the sun, also called a(n)_______” This was a question that appeared on the screen at a Knowledge Masters competition. The answer is sun dog.

At 3:15 a.m. on Friday April 18, the Knowledge Bowl club held the second Knowledge Masters Open competition of the school year in social studies teacher Bill Rives’ room. The goal at this season’s competition was to surpass the score of 1446 achieved in the November competition. Despite a solid team of 30 members, SAS earned 1415 points and was unable to improve on last season’s score.

The score of 1415 placed SAS at third in the small international division behind Seoul Foreign School and Shanghai American School and 195th out of 703 worldwide, including the many schools in the United States.

“We really wanted to beat last season’s score and perhaps even move into first over Shanghai American School, but the fact that we crossed the 1400 mark is still satisfying,” said Amit Parekh, president of SAS’ Knowledge Bowl club. “We wanted to gather as many people as possible for the competition, but at times the number made it easy to become distracted.”

As with past seasons, the team suffered low turnouts at practices, but saw new participants at competition time. A few key members were missing from the

Knowledge Masters gather at the end of the Spring competition that sees them score 1415 points, short of the 1446 scored by students competing in the November Knowledge Masters Open. Back, l to r: Thomas Bynum, Adrian Bautista, Connor Liu; Middle, l to r: Amit Parekh, Chris Seet, Nashoba Santhanam, Akhilesh Pant, Nihal Varkey, Allen Koh, Daksha Rajagopalan, Peter Bardon, Sam Park, Ang Jun Seow, Victor Seet, Ravi Shanmugam, Nihal Krishan, Prakhar Mehrotra; Front: Amber Bang. Photo by Bill Rives

team due to scheduling conflicts.

Many of these members helped at the last competition, quickly answering the obscure questions in their categories.

The team was able to answer all but 22 questions correctly, requiring a second chance on 31 of them.

Last year’s SAS team scored 1589 points, also falling short of Shanghai American School.

According to Rives, the questions this year didn’t allow for as high a score.

“I noticed that the questions this year were noticeably more difficult

than last year,” he said. “I was pleased to see that we were able to come so close to our target.”

A breakdown of categories with questions missed was immediately shown at the end of the competition.

The weakest category for the team was Earth Science while Government and Recent Events were solid at 100 percent answered correctly on the first try by the “Eagle Braniacs.”

The competition lasted two hours with only three five-minute breaks in between the series of 200 questions.

Bonus points were awarded for speed and, in many cases, the relatively

inexperienced team members were quick to answer.

Knowledge Bowl presidents juniors Nihal Varkey and Amit Parekh entered the team’s choices on Rives’ computer.

“At times there was chaos, with the whole room yelling out answers frantically” Varkey said. “By the end of the competition, though, we were able to get on a roll of 20-30 questions.”

Though Knowledge Bowl is often seen as boring and “nerdy,” many newcomers were surprised by how exhilarating it was.

“It took a bit of convincing but I’m glad that I finally decided to join,” junior Connor Liu said. “The competitions are always really exciting. People are always on their toes trying to answer random questions in just a few seconds.”

“I was satisfied with the turnout at both of this years’ competitions.”

Parekh said. “Though I think that a lot more talent is out there in SAS. We have the potential to compete for the top spots.” akhilesh.theeye@gmail.com

staff editorial

When the blind lead the blind...

As the Olympic torch completes its torturous journey from the ruins of Athens to the skyscrapers of Beijing, and the Olympic movement grapples with the involvement of politics in sport, some high schoolers are gripped by a far more important question. Will Britney Spears gain custody of her children?

“Like, what’s like the problem with China?” one junior asked, followed quickly by, “Why are they like protesting?” When the subject moved from human rights to pop songs and Tom Cruise, though, she was in her element. “I can’t help it if I don’t care about the world,” she explained.

Unwittingly, she paraphrased singer Jimmy Buffet: “Is it ignorance or apathy? Hey, I don’t know and I don’t care.”

We live in a world that is changing-fast. The world economy is teetering on the brink of a recession. Latin America is embracing populism. Berlusconi, Medvedev and the next U.S. president will take their countries in new directions. We are in the midst of an energy boom. Britney’s kids are not priorities.

As citizens of the world, we can live, work and study in almost any country. Our place of birth is almost irrelevant. Attending an international school in Singapore, we can attest to this.

Taking advantage of this connectivity, a product of globalisation, requires an understanding of world politics.

Which sectors have the greatest scope? Which countries are about to boom? Where would you get the best quality of life?

Incidentally, in Zurich, according to “Mercer Human Resources Consultancy.” This is subjective. Depending on your criteria, you may prefer to live in Dublin or San Francisco. Making this choice requires information.

Following current affairs will also stem cultural insensitivity.

The permeation of American pop culture has marginalised traditional

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values, much as the predominance of English has diminished the importance of learning other languages. Yet America’s cultural dominance, manifested in jeans, Britney and rock music, is increasingly challenged by a growing anti-American sentiment.

Being overtly American is not merely unfashionable, is can even be dangerous. Understanding other cultures has suddenly become important.

No country (though Zimbabwe and Cuba try their best) can shut out the world. Insularity was possible in the 1930s, but global economic integration has made isolationism not only undesirable, but impractical. A factory worker in Detroit can now lose his job to one in Prague or Bangalore, and a hedge fund manager in New York can lose his to one in London or Shanghai. Appreciating the market trends that precipitate these losses is crucial.

More cynically, politics is excellent fodder for filling out essays. Current events put historical and literary allusions in context, and lend sophistication to a piece.

With all due respect to Britney, her literary value is limited. While she is symbolic of pop culture, she is far less important than human rights in China, energy policy in Russia, and populist programs in Venezuela.

As international citizens, we have an opportunity to watch history being made. Our exposure to different cultures is unique, and it would be a travesty to pass it up.

Anybody can listen to a Britney Spears album. Far fewer can intelligently discuss the merits of democracy and the AIDS crisis in Africa.

“Two things are infinite: human stupidity and the universe; and I’m not sure about the universe,” Einstein said. Perhaps, but stupidity can be educated. Start caring about what’s happening around you, and old Albert would have made a rare mistake.

Singapore American High School 40 Woodlands Street 41 Republic of Singapore 738547 Staff: (65) 6363-3404 x537 Adviser: (65) 6363-3404 x539 Fax: (65) 6363-6443 eye@sas.edu.sg

Editors-in-chief: Megan Anderson, sr. editor Amanda Tsao, Ravi Shanmugam News editor: Amanda Tsao Op/Ed editor: Ravi Shanmugam Features editor: Amber Bang Eye In Focus editor: Devin Hardee, Hee Soo Chung A&E editor: Jon Cheng Sports editor: Megan Anderson Photo: Megan Anderson, Brian Riady Reporters: Megan Anderson, Amber Bang, Alex Boothe, Jon Cheng, Hee Soo Chung, Rohin Dewan, Devin Hardee, DJ Hartman, Lorenzo Holt, See Young Lee, Nick Leisiuk, Alex Lim, Barbara Lodwick, Akhilesh Pant, Ravi Shanmugam, Amanda Tsao Adviser: Mark Clemens Assistant adviser: Judy Agusti

The Eye is the student newspaper of the Singapore American School. All opinions stated within these pages are those of their respective writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Singapore American School, its board of governors, PTA, faculty or administration.

Comments and suggestions can be sent to the Eye via the Internet at eye@sas. edu.sg. At the author’s request, names can be withheld from publication.

Letters will be printed as completely as possible. The Eye reserves the right to edit letters for reasons of taste and space.

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Ivy acceptance lows no big deal

Our high school careers are geared you we will be unable to offer you a for one thing: getting into college place in the Class of 2012.” (preferably an Ivy). The pressure’s The culprit? Simple demographics. one to get good grades, do well on the As the children of baby boomers, we SAT, and participate happen to be creating in extracurricular a mini boom of our activities. Before you own. Come June, the know it, power school largest number of high is your homepage. school graduates in Our self worth U.S. history – around is finally set senior 3.23 million - will don a year when we click cap and gown. At SAS, “submit” on our the senior class is also well scrutinized making history with applications.

No 287 graduating.

Devin Hardee longer in control, we The result? More wait. When April 1 rejection - especially rolls around, letters from top schools. are opened, fates determined. There This year, Harvard, Yale, are only three outcomes: accepted Columbia and Princeton turned away (we love you), wait-listed (we like students with perfect SAT scores and you), rejected (you wish).

GPAs. More than 3,300 of Harvard’s Unfortunately for the class of 27,462 applicants scored a perfect 800 2008, this year was the hardest year on the SAT math section, and 2,500 to get into college. had 800 scores on the SAT critical Many of us received letters that reading test. Many were ranked first read like this: in their high school class.

“Dear So-and-so… This year Brown, Dartmouth and we received a record number of Georgetown are just a few of applications making our decision- the schools that had record low making process the most competitive acceptance rates with 13, 17 and 18 it has ever been… I regret to inform percent of applicants admitted.

More applicants were also put on wait-lists. College admissions officers attributed this to the uncertainty of how many students would enroll. This year Harvard and Princeton stopped accepting students through early admission putting 1,500 students who are likely to have applied to many elite schools in the regular round.

For the seniors still racking their brains as to why they did not get accepted into their top choices, it is time to get practical. Life is not fair, and neither is the college admission process.

There is no magic formula for a sure path to success. Many factors come into play, many unforeseen. As college decisions have shown this year, having a perfect score on the SAT and great grades is not always enough. Things are not black and white.

In a super competitive environment like SAS where college acceptances to top schools are paraded like trophies, it is easy to lose perspective.

High school shouldn’t just be about getting into college. It should be about surviving.

Once upon a time, there was a good old days when you forgot where popsicle with two sticks. Merry and your mum was supposed to pick you two-sticked was he, made for being up, so you got lost and wandered broken in half to be shared with a friend around until she found you and of the child who bought him. Then, gave you an earful? Thanks to cheap one fateful day, he became obsolete. handphones, kids can now have the The popsicle factory observed that memory of a goldfish, and don’t have little girls and boys were selfish and to carry emergency change for a pay unwilling to share phone. That is, if they can their popsicles. find a pay phone.

He was bad for Speaking of phones, business. Hence the anxious teenager who the universal onewaited for her boyfriend to stick popsicle of call her house is now extinct. today was born.

There is no little brother I remember who tries to pick up the line the days before in another room. Now she his extinction. As gets curt messages on her a child of the 90’s handphone reminiscent of Amanda Tsao I haven’t been Orwell’s newspeak: “c u around for very 2nite. Luv u, have a gr8 day. long, but I’ve lived long enough to :D.” No flowery love letters dropped see the two-sticked popsicle, among in her locker, no perfume-laced notes other childhood symbols, dissolve left on her desk. into history, joining tin soldiers and With the advent of technology alphabet blocks. comes the demise of tactile skills.

Today when I get on my activity With the advent of today’s neologisms bus I will see a second grader typing a come outdated terms. Here’s an message on his handphone. I find this obsolete term: pen pal. Thanks to depressing. Whatever happened to the e-mail terminating the postal service, now no one needs to buy carefully c h o s e n stationery a n d developed photos.

Penmanship i s n ’ t important anymore.

Cursive handwriting dies as it coughs out its last curls.

Here’s another one: Sunday best.

Flipping through my grandparents’ photo album, I see my grandfather in a three-piece suit, nervously clutching his hat outside my grandmother’s house. They’re going on a date.

Turning the page there he is again in the same suit, beaming because it’s his first time on an aeroplane.

In the seat beside him is a woman in a “Sunday hat” and tulle gloves.

Later I see the suit again, this time outside church, the place “Sunday best” was coined. There was a time when people didn’t need to explain why they wore a dress or a tie. Two months ago at a strings concert in the Esplanade, I felt embarrassingly overdressed compared to the myriad of people in jeans and sneakers. Has it always been this way? At the same theatre ten years ago I remember my aunt explaining that this was a place where people got dressed up to show respect for the performers and their art. That’s why I was wearing my Sunday best.

There are other dead terms: spring cleaning, airing-cupboard, laser disc, tape recorder, dinner jacket; all hieroglyphs to the modern tenyear-old. They now join the ranks of knickerbockers and chamber pots.

As I stare at the typewriter in my room, I stare into a lost era. And then I understand how much more romantic it was to write a novel back then. As I roll in a fresh page and adjust the margins, I understand the symbolism of a tactile generation: By becoming less tactile we’ve lost our tact. The ring at the end of every line echoes like a bell from a faraway time when first drafts were shoved into leather briefcases instead of the digital copies into laptop bags. It’s an alleviative sound which comforts me to know that once upon a time, barbers shaved facial hair, everyone carried a library card, and children shared their popsicles.

Yearning for those yore-like days

The new water bottleless SAS

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Prom, a three billion dollar industry

by Nicholas Lesiuk

Suit (Hugo Boss), Tie (Ferragamo): $4000 + Shoes (Ferragamo): $1000 + Afterparty/Booze: $30 + Dinner: $350

That iconic moment of almost every American teenager’s life is now under unprecedented scrutiny. With the rise in cost of prom, many parents now feel that it is an “exaggerated rite of passage that borders on outright decadence,” that the spending that occurs annually is gratuitous, and that the pursuit of vanity for vanity’s sake is an exercise in financial improvidence.

These opinions are the polar opposite of the kids who say that prom night is the culmination of a year’s hard work, a coming of age tradition parallel to American cotillions, debutante balls or Latin Quinceaneras. They say that no cost is too great for a night to be remembered, a night that defines the end of an era. For seniors it’s a celebration of a high school career coming to an end, for juniors a reward for a year of hard work.

Both arguments have their merits, but who is right?

It is pretty well established that prom, for most people, is a pivotal experience to cherish forever, but it’s disheartening to find out that the industry tops a mammoth three billion dollars a year, and the average $800 spent by most people on prom (http://www. deborarachelle.com/PromStats. html) is roughly equal to the GDP per capita of some Third World countries. Economic experts who decry the anemic personal savings rate in the United States point to prom as a key economic indicator for kid’s future personal savings.

Junior Class President Sajan Shah said that prom spending wasn’t excessive, but instead well earned, and spent.

“The fundraising that we did in freshmen and sophomore year pretty much paid for the entire prom,” Shah said. “Student council isn’t a business, so we are

ultimately looking to make sure people have a good time. I think all our money was spent wisely, on decorations that fit with the theme or the game tables, that provided another alternative for people that wanted to come to prom, but dancing wasn’t their thing.”

Students said that prom spending was a poor indicator of future spending, because it’s a special event, one that they deserve to be able to indulge themselves in.

“Besides,” junior Nicole Liew said, “there are ways you can make it not as pricey. You can eat at reasonably priced restaurant, buy a simple dress, but,” she conceded, “I think it’s a really nice thing, and its not too bad if people decide to spend a lot on it.

After all prom only happens once or twice in your life.”

Most of the spending is not done during the prom event though; it’s the after parties, restaurants, suits and dresses that rack up the largest bill. Shah said that this should be expected.

“Since we are an American school, prom is definitely a bigger deal than other international schools, and a lot of people take prom as a big deal.”

He said that the amounts of money people spend on prom is a good indicator of the excitement and hype that goes along with the event.

“If people want to spend money on a nice dress or suit that’s great, Shah said. “It’s a good feeling to know that people care about the events that we’re putting on. Even for after parties, it’s the same deal. Some seniors want to leave SAS in a big way; and putting on a good after party is a way they feel they can do that.”

Dress: $500 + Shoes: $175 + Purse: $50 + Dinner: Paid + Earings: $20 + Room: $240 + Booze: $25 + Hair & Makeup: $150 + Extra Cash/ Cabs: $150

SAS high schoolers students big spenders, poor savers

by Megan Anderson Junior Alex Kim is a happy man this week. Not because school is almost over or because he received a good grade on an AP mock, but because of his successful stocks.

Kim started investing his money four months ago to find a hobby and to make money. He has $10,000 invested in companies like Graham Corp (GHM), Apple (AAPL), Google (GOOG), Dynamic Materials Corporation (BOOM) and the Layn Christensen Company (LAYN). To date he has made about $6500.

Senior Chelsea Curto also has financial know-how. She works after school doing voice-overs for Nickelodeon and Odex two to three times a week. After two years of part-time work, Curto has about SG$8,000 in her savings account. To help pay for her college tuition fees, she plans to earn a bartending license and work as a bartender throughout her college years.

But Kim and Curto are rare finds at SAS in terms of financial savvy.

Most SAS high school students are very talented spenders; saving is not a priority or a necessity for this well off expat community.

“I don’t think expat kids have money problems,” junior Nishant Rao said. “Parents will always give us money whenever we ask.”

Some blame the spending habits of parents, while others, like senior Abhay Puri, blame peer pressure and the environment as major factors.

“Even if your parents tell you not to spend a lot of money, but all your friends go out often or take a lot of cabs and stuff, then you end up spending more money,” Puri said.

While the

average American teen is not as affluent as the average SAS teen, the same habits seem to apply. The average American teen spent more than $104 a week in 2001, according to the marketing research firm Teenage Research Unlimited. An

article in a 2002 issue of the San Francisco Chronicle, “Teens with wads of cash flex spending muscle”

by Cindy Rodriguez, says that teen spending habits will probably make them lifetime spendthrifts.

“Some worry that the intense adolescent focus on consuming will bring about a future in which an even greater number of Americans are living beyond their means,” Rodriguez said.

Amer ica’s huge credit crisis is evidence that this problem is already ma n ifesti ng itself in today’s

society. In his book “Credit Card Nation”, Robert Manning says the fastest growing group of bankruptcy filers is people age 25 and younger.

This frivolous spending not only poses economic problems, but has a negative psychological impact. In the same San Francisco Chronicle article, Psychologist Ted Feinberg, assistant executive director of the National Association of School Psychologists says many teens think they can buy happiness.

“Just like a narcotic junkie, they are going from high to high, only it’s a synthetic high. It’s not born of things that are substantive in life.

In the end, it is going to leave them feeling hollow,” Feinberg said.

For the Alex Kim’s and Chelsea Curto’s of the school, the economic and psychological problems that come with spending will not have as much of an impact in their futures. It is the students who claim to be having an ‘easy time’ with money now who will have trouble in the future if their spending habits continue.

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April 15, 2008

The fries are always crispier on the other side of campus

by Hee Soo Chung Chattering in high-pitched voices, middle school students rush into the high school cafeteria with their supervisor. They head straight to Subway and form a line. After getting their Subway sandwich, cookie and drinks, they scuttle back to middle school with satisfied faces.

Middle school and intermediate school students said they love not only the Subway and candy at the high school caf, but also the interior design.

A group of fifth-grade girls all nodded enthusiastically when asked if they liked the high school cafeteria more than the middle school cafeteria.

“The high school cafeteria has Subway,” Charlotte Gruman said.

“There’s also more wide open space there so you can do homework and eat at the same time.”

“The atmosphere is so much better in the high school cafeteria,” Maddy Hurst said. “The middle school cafeteria has no colors.”

For high school students, Subway and candies don’t play a significant role, if any at all, in their love of the high school cafeteria. Although Subway attracts many students every day, students often get sick of eating Subway sandwiches. The majority of the students purchase their lunch from Mr. Ho’s.

High school students had differing views on the high school cafeteria.

“Just because we have Subway doesn’t mean the high school cafeteria is better,” junior Elliot Miranda said.

Miranda pointed out that the food quality and variety of the middle school cafeteria is better than those of the high school cafeteria.

“There is more choice and the food is healthier there,” Miranda said. “I think middle school parents are just more concerned about what their kids eat because they are young

The middle school caf boasts an array of healthy food including these fresh fruit smoothies . Unlike the smoothies in the high school which are made with frozen yogurt, these are made with purely frozen fruit.

and still growing.”

Nita Vaidya, a junior, said that the high school cafeteria’s food does not taste as fresh as middle school cafeteria’s.

“I’d say the only good thing about the high school cafeteria is the close proximity,” Vaidya said.

Some high school students expressed opposing views on the selection of food available in the high school cafeteria but agreed that they liked the middle school cafeteria nevertheless.

“Their selection of food is not as great as our cafeteria but I like it better,” junior Ron Milne said.

“The middle school cafeteria offers Western and Asian cuisine and does better in representing different geographical regions. The high school cafeteria primarily offers Asian cuisine.”

Brian Riady thinks there is a variety of food offered in the high

The juicy hamburgers in the Middle School caf would make any high schooler drool, just as the subs in the high school caf make middle schoolers flock by the dozen.

Photos by Megan Anderson

school cafeteria, especially by Mr.Ho’s.

“I think the high school cafeteria is adding more variety to the menu now,” Riady said. “Mr. Ho added and upgraded the penne, different kinds of pasta, sweet and sour pork, chicken teryikai and other dishes.

There are more selections coming in.”

The high school cafeteria and middle school cafeteria are each owned by the Ho brothers. The kitchen of Mr. Ho in middle school is larger because it cooks food for middle school and intermediate school students.

When the Eye staff went to the middle school cafeteria, they found menus such as sashimi. udon, fruit smoothies, ‘Oxford Banger,’ and shawarmas which are not available at the high school cafeteria.

With fifteen dollars, the Eye staff was able to buy a hotdog,

Most high school students are content with the caf ’s ambience and Mr. Ho’s selection. While Subway’s sandwiches are always popular, students say they weary of them after a while and return to Ho’s. Nourish has few fans, but Eagle Zone is increasingly popular as they enlarge their selection with shawarmas, shepherds pies and cheese nachos.. Photo by Brian Riady

cheese burger, two sushi, pasta, and chicken curry.

“The middle school pesto penne is half the grease and double the taste compared to high school’s,” junior Jon Cheng, a member of the Eye staff said.

Sophomore DJ Hartman, a member of the Eye staff, was greatly satisfied with the cheese burger.

“The cheese burger was actually warm when it was handed to me, and the bread was actually toasted,” Hartman said.

For the pricing of the food, many said that the two cafeterias seemed to charge about the same amount of money.

Some middle school students complained about the prices of some of the food.

“Sometimes it’s a rip-off,” Gruman said. “For example, spaghetti with one piece of bread is like $3. That’s so expensive!”

The fifth-grade students sitting on the same table in the middle school cafeteria put sushi, sandwiches, nachos, muffins, and drinks on their top “rip off” list.

Comparing those menus with high school’s, the prices are about the same.

The nachos ($1), muffins ($1.50), peanut butter jelly sandwich ($1.50), and ham and cheese sandwich ($2), and sushi with six pieces ($1.80) cost the same in both cafeterias.

The tuna, chicken, and egg sandwiches ($2) in the high school cafeteria are more expensive than the ones in the high school ($1.50).

Riady said that the middle school students and high school students like each other’s cafeteria better.

“People are used to their own cafeteria and like a change of taste,” Riady said.

Media images may distort teen-parent relationships

by Hee Soo Chung since the beginning of time.

Once upon a time, children drank “I don’t think conflicts between their milk and did their homework parents and teenagers have increased without bidding, largely because over the years,” Swarstad said. they feared their parents if they did “Looking for independence is part not. Times may be changing. of being a teenager.”

“Kids are High school unafraid of their psychologist Dr. parents; parents Jeffrey Devens are afraid of agreed. their kids!” “ Te e n a g e r s said clinical always want more psychologist independence Patricia Dalton while the parents in a Sept. 11 expect more Washington Post responsibility article. She said out of them,” he clinical psychologist that children’s said.

Patricia Dalton disrespect Dr. Devens towards their said that parents has everything increased over the years. becomes a battle of wills between Middle school counselor kids and parents. They most Mark Swarstad and high school commonly fight over schoolwork psychologist Dr. Jeffrey Devens and relationships. Parents expect disagreed and said that conflicts their children to get high grades. between parents and children, A sophomore male said that he especially teenagers, have existed faces problems with his parents

“

Kids are unafraid of their parents; parents are afraid of their kids!

”

regarding grades.

“My mom checks PowerSchool every week. If they’re bad she yells at me and tells me to do better, and even if they’re good she tells me that I could improve,” he said.

Dr. Devens and Swarstad said that the media plays an increasingly large role in family relationships.Dr. Devens said that the image that the media projects does not accurately portray reality.

“The media glamorizes the issues that parents and children face,” Dr. Devens said. “The way that the conflicts are shown to be handled in media is maladaptive; it is handled in an unhealthy way.”

In the popular TV series “Gossip Girl”, every episode portrays family conflicts among many others. A father who’s addicted to cocaine beats up his son when he confronts his father about it. The family is rich but dysfunctional and barely has conversations together. When they do have conversations, they often end up fighting at the end.

Swarstad said that media influence on teenagers has increased over the years. In the 1950s, the biggest influences on teenagers were from family, religion, school, friendship and the media. The media sent out a homogenous cultural value.

“Now there has been a major change.,” Swarstad said. “The number one influence on students is from the media. Different cultural values are portrayed through the media.”

The messages that the media sends out may not always be safe and parents are sometimes forced to be “watchdogs,” according to Swarstad.

Parents’ jobs can influence the relationship between parents and the children.

“Sometimes the father has to travel all the time for his job, and more pressure is put on the mother to educate and discipline their children well,” Swarstad said.

The expectations and conflicts

between parents and children differ from place to place. When Swarstad worked in Taipei, he said that many of the Asian students faced difficulties dealing with their parents. While their parents wanted to raise them in conservative ways, the kids did not meet their expectations because they were becoming more westernized in international schools.

High school counselor Nathan Scheble said that he saw more signs of disrespect towards parents in the United States.

He said that the socioeconomic status of the parents, the cultures the children are raised in, the expectations of parents and the level of education of the parents are important factors in parent-children relationships.

“I seldom see kids treating their parents with disrespect here,” high school counselor Nathan Schelble said. “I don’t know if it’s because of the Asian custom to be more respectful to one’s elders.”

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Roopa Dewan

by Amanda Tsao In elementary school English, every story has a moral. In high school English, every work of literature has a three-dimensional character; and in every of Dr. Roopa Dewan’s classes, that character came to life.

“I love how when she talks about what we’re learning, she expects us to love it just as much as she does,” senior Alison Tan said. “There’s nothing more encouraging.”

Dr. Dewan started teaching literature at an Indian University at the age of 21, right after graduating from university in 1972.

She married soon after and moved to a different city in India, but was offered a lien on the job. Every time her husband traveled for work, Dr. Dewan went back to teach at the university.

“Even when I was on maternity leave, I still went back,” Dr. Dewan said.

Patricia Kuester

by Amber Bang Patricia Kuester has crossed the borders of Germany, former Yugoslavia, northern Greece, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, all in an 18-year-old Volkswagen. Her life has been, in essence, a constant journey. Kuester, drama department head and English teacher, has lived in Singapore working at SAS for the past 21 years, the longest time she has spent in one country since she left home.

Kuester’s family is originally from Hungary, but moved to Australia shortly before she was born. She grew up in Australia, and left with

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She later moved to the Philippines, where she stayed for 17 years. But she couldn’t work because of her dependant visa.

“I couldn’t teach, but I did. There were ways around it,” she said. She enrolled in a doctoral program in bilingual education while she couldn’t work, and became President and Vice-President of the nursery school her children attended. Then she got a teaching position at the elementary school in the International School of Manila.

When she got there, the director of personnel was so impressed with her curriculum proposal and graduate work, that he put her as a language teacher for ESL (English as a Second Language) children. After developing a new ESL program, she was moved to the middle school, then to the high school, all while completing her PhD. That was just her day job. In the evenings, she taught law and a post-graduate business program at LaSalle University’s Manila campus.

When her husband’s work took the family to

the intention of traveling throughout Asia and then Europe. Immediately after graduating from university where she majored in psychology and theater, she spent three years teaching in order to earn money for her trip. During this time, Kuester began to dabble in filmmaking and community theater as well.

Her journey began on a bus ride from her hometown to Darwin, where she then made her way to East Timor, which was known as Portuguese Timor at the time. From there, she traveled to Bali, where she met her late husband who was working as a translator. He spoke

German, English, Bahasa, and Balinese. Kuester herself speaks English, German, Hungarian and French. They lived together, moving back and forth between Laos, Thailand and Bali. From there, the two moved to Germany where they lived for a few years after getting married. As he had begun studying Mandarin while in Germany, they decided they would both make their way to Taiwan by a mostly overland journey.

When Kuester and her husband arrived at the border of India, they were told they would have to pay a fee to drive over the border.

Singapore, she applied for a teaching job at SAS. Two of her children graduated from SAS in 1994 and 1999.

Since her arrival in 1991, Dr. Dewan has taught eight different courses, including AP English Literature, Asian Literature, Contemporary American Literature, and grade level English. She invented the Global Issues course, a class designed for students to think up their own ways of saving the world. The club Peace Initiative was born from this class. She recalled the club’s start, when the superintendent threw away a letter from Amnesty International addressed to the class. He thought the club was involved in something considered subversive to the Singapore government. Because Amnesty International was banned in Singapore, the club came up an alternative name: Peace Initiative. Its clearance as a club set off a string of other legendary SAS clubs: Caring for Cambodia, Global Giving, Leprosy Home, SAVE club, all started by students enrolled in her Global Issues class.

Her room hosted heated debates. Mersault, Raskolnikov, Hamlet and Medea were put on trial year after year, with students finding new ways of defending and attacking them. Emotions ran amock, debates ran over into breaks and lunches.

“I used to have kids leave the room crying,” she said.

“I love it when kids are passionate about literature.”

“She just really loves teaching, and you can tell,” senior Brit Hvide said, “She’s made my writing infinitely better. And I really like her fashion sense.”

Dr. Dewan will leave SAS at the end of this school year. She hopes to continue teaching and doing humanitarian work.

Junior Spencer Anderson, an officer of Leprosy Home and Peace Initiative, said she has a genuine passion for helping people.

“A lot of people talk about how much they care. But so few people are willing to hug a man who’s lost his limbs to leprosy and wants to kill himself,” he said. “But I’ve seen her do it. With her it’s always personal.”

At the centre of a fable is the moral. But when a work contains several morals it is elevated to literature, considered art. Dr. Dewan’s story at SAS leaves no single moral.

“She makes teaching an art,” Anderson said.

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Deciding the cost was not worth the price of the car, they abandoned the car at the border, and found other methods of travel throughout India. From there, they traveled back to South East Asia, and finally to Taiwan. In Taiwan, Kuester’s husband attended university while she taught English at various schools throughout Taipei, until someone informed her of possible positions at Taipei American School (TAS).

She began teaching at TAS in 1978, first teaching yoga classes for a few weeks before she was given the position to teach AP English and drama. Kuester built up the drama program over the few years she taught at TAS, even studying theater in London during a one-year sabbatical. She moved to Singapore to work at SAS in 1987 where she has continued to teach both English and drama.

“I’ve loved the students, and I’ve loved the program,” Kuester said. “Now I’m looking forward to moving on and being stimulated by new things.”

Kuester will be moving to Westport, Ireland at the end of the school year where she then hopes to continue being involved in theater, both directing and acting.

“I know I won’t be able to stay away from theater for very long,” she said.

Rev

Michael Stagg

by DJ Hartman With a reflective stroke of his beard, Social Studies teacher Michael Stagg contemplated the profound effects he predicted his departure from SAS would cause.

“I imagine when people read the headline ‘Staggo Leaving,’ they’ll glance over it, breathe a sigh of relief and continue onto the next article,” Stagg said.

Stagg, or referred to by colleagues and students alike as ‘Staggo,’ leaves SAS this June with his wife, counselor Beth Kramer to be closer to Kramer’s mother, who suffers from Alzheimer’s Disease.

“She needs people close to her who can help her with day-to-day stuff and if we stay in Singapore, we’ll have missed our opportunity,” Stagg said.

He and Kramer leave this June for Ohio, despite some of his apprehensions about living in the United States.

“The politics in the last few years, I find distasteful. I’m not particularly big on the broader culture, there’s far too much importance placed on money and the size of things. I’d be much happier living somewhere less developed, say Cambodia or Laos,” Stagg said.

Stagg will miss the Singapore’s food and year-round tropical climate.

When Stagg first arrived in

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Singapore in 2002, he was approached by former Principal Paul Chemelik to start the first geography courses taught in the High School. Eventually, this lead to the start of the AP Human Geography at SAS, one of the newest social studies courses offered by the AP College Board.

Among other things, Stagg will also be remembered as the MUN coach, a position he took in 2002.

“MUN won’t be the same without Staggo there to make fun of us and occasionally give a bit of advice,” said junior Joon Park, an IASAS MUN delegate.

Students who’ve been taught by Stagg, teachers who’ve worked with him and MUNsters will all remember the peculiar nicknames assigned to them by Stagg, such as ‘HandyDandy-Andy,’ ‘Sideways,’ ‘Willy Billy the Third,’ ‘Disco Dan,’ ‘HelloHello,’ and ‘Finchy-Bird.’

“I’m going to miss Staggo, and his bearded shenanigans,” senior, AP Human Geography student and IASAS MUN delegate Abhay Puri said.

Social Studies teacher Devin Kay started teaching and coaching MUN with Stagg this year.

“Staggo is definitely the most friendly and receptive person at SAS. He’s a great at coaching MUN and from what I hear, he’s a great teacher, but I think he’s an even better person,” Kay said.

Beth Kramer

by Ann Lee Counselor Beth Kramer and husband Michael Stagg cycle 32 km to and from school every day. They leave at 5:00 every morning, arriving at school around 5:50.

Kramer goes straight up to the office, cools down then heads to the faculty bathroom and takes a shower. She is at her desk by 6:40.

“She comes in with her helmet on sometimes” counseling secretary Ylva Bracken said.

“She is always cheerful after coming in cycling every morning. She is always really helpful, very

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knowledgeable and kids love her. She really makes our day.”

As soon as summer break starts, Kramer, a counselor at SAS for the past eight years, will leave for a new home in Cleveland, Ohio. Kramer said that she and Stagg will care for her ailing mother there.

Kramer has counseled about 1200 students during her eight year stay. She said that she hopes that she made a difference in students’ lives.

“I really enjoyed working with students with a wide range of talents” she said.

She said that her memorable moments were seeing kids happy after being accepted to the colleges of their choice. When junior Maria Lloyd entered Kramer’s office to talk about college applications for next year, she had no firm idea where she wanted to go, or what she wanted to do.

“Ms.Kramer really helped me figure what kind of college was suitable for me,” Lloyd said.

Kramer was a senior class adviser with Mimi

Molchan, and planned events such as senior appreciation day. She has also helped to organize MUN conferences.

“She was pro-active and insightful; she really wanted to help kids.” Molchan said. “She knew what they wanted as an end result, but allowed them to be in charge.”

Kramer has been senior Caitlin Murray’s couselor for the past three years.

“She’s one of those people you can go to and start talking about anything,” Murray said. “Some might be scared to go to a counselor about something, but Ms. Kramer is not like that. She’s very open.”

SAS bids goodbye to long time faculty members

Patrick Hopkins

by Nick Lesiuk It’s Friday in room H-315, and as Social Studies teacher Patrick Hopkins prepares to start his lesson, students recite in unison, “Happy Friday Mr. Hopkins, you look beautiful today!”

Hopkins’ unique Friday ritual isn’t the only thing that distinguishes him from other teachers; students describe his energy, passionate outbursts, and exaggerated movement as a trademarks of his teaching.

Students feel that his lively teaching style, apart from being entertaining, help grab their interest

and focus on what’s being presented.

Hopkins, who teaches regular and AP economics, AP U.S. government, and AP comparative government, will be leaving SAS when this school year finishes. Hopkins will be moving to back to New Hampshire, his home state, to be closer his family, and teach there. Hopkins will be at the New Hampton School teaching Social Studies and possibly A.P. Comparative Government, Economics, and U.S. Government.

Students feet that Hopkins’ teaching style was not only entertaining, but helped them learn the course material.

“He’s very enthusiastic about what he teaches. You can really see it in what ever we’re learning about, it’s not only entertaining but helps us learn,” junior Adrian Bautista said.

Most students feel this way, describing his demeanor as mercurial.

“He’s just really silly. Hell be really serious one minute and then all of the sudden hell burst out and get really passionate about the subject,” said senior Brit Hvide.

“I’ll miss him because of his quirky personality.”

Hopkins deliberately shrouds his political orientation in secrecy so that he doesn’t influence his students’ political views while teaching. This secrecy has created

debate among students, who are all sure they’ve pinned it down: “He’s a democrat for sure,” senior Megan Anderson said.

“I think he’s a democrat, I mean he’s from New Hampshire,” Hvide said.

“Well, I think economically he’s definitely conservative,” senior Devin Hardee said.

The mystery will soon come to an end though as Hopkins has said that he might reveal his view on the last day of school.

Hopkins said the best part of teaching at SAS is the students, and that he’s had an enjoyable 10 years at SAS. “Great, really liked it here. Good school, great kids,” he said.

Photos by Mark Clemens

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MOVIE /BOOK R E V I E W S >>

Well crafted film-adaptation marred by discrepancies

by Amanda Tsao Ian McEwan has a penchant for sawn thighs and pornographers trapped in nightmares, as seen in “It Happened One Night” and “In Between the Sheets.” “Atonement” is a radical departure with its light imagery and romantic setting.

Set on the cusp of World War II in the English countryside, the novel focuses on love and war, childhood and womanhood, guilt and atonement. Younger daughter Briony, the protagonist, is a wealthy 13-year old-girl gifted with imagination. Contemplating the loss of a favorite dress, ‘’Briony knew her only reasonable choice then would be to run away, to live under hedges, eat berries and speak to no one, and be found by a bearded woodsman one winter’s dawn, curled up at the base of a giant oak, beautiful and dead.’’

Briony is the intelligent, intense version of Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita, replete with adolescence’s glamorous tantrums and sexual confusion. On a normal day, Briony transforms her fantasies into stories and plays. But McEwan has always had an eye for the darker veins that course through children’s imaginations.

When Briony’s plans for her play are derailed, her dramatic instincts look to feed elsewhere, and they find scandalous sustenance in glimpsed intimacies between Robbie, the housekeeper’s son, and Cecilia, Briony’s older sister. Following the

Keira Knightly as the delightful Briony James McAvoy as Robbie

rape of her cousin, Lola, who claims to remember nothing of her attacker, Briony finds her chance to frame Robbie in protection of Cecilia.

Because of her age, she doesn’t understand that the act was mutual.

Part One of the book ends with Robbie taken away in a police car; the other two parts deal with the effects of Briony’s actions. The book shows how one decision by an 11-year old ultimately determines the fate of her whole family, creating a guilt she carries for the rest of her life.

The characters in the movie are cast well, especially Kiera Knightly and Saoirse Ronan, who fit the parts of the Tallis sisters like a glove.

Director Joe Wright compliments McEwan by closely following the

characters’ perspectives according to the book.

Wright’s craftsmanship is equally accomplished. The editing ranks among the best, conveying a broad narrative in flourishing staccatos. The soundtrack adds more relish—its use of typewriter keys as an instrument is brilliant—while the picturesque cinematography and spot-on sets are full of saturated color and antique charm. It deserves its Oscar for Best Score.

Ironically, that’s all part of the problem. For, beautiful as the film appears and stunning as its mechanistic somersaults are, these ultimately emphasize the lack of real deptth at its heart.

An important theme in the book is the struggle to separate

fact from fiction, shown through the fictitious musings that engulf Briony’s reality. But the movie does not convey the importance of this theme clearly enough. Yes, Cecilia and Robbie’s romance is an integral part of McEwan’s novel, but its importance is grossly inflated in the movie. Simply put, these attempts feel like stunts: impressive feats of filmmaking bravado existing solely to wow the Academy.

Wright tries to make up for it at the end with Briony as an elderly, successful novelist on a TV talk show, explaining that her book “Atonement” was written to give Cecilia and Robbie the ending they could never have in life. But it doesn’t drive home the point: Briony’s lifelong inability to distinguish fact from fiction transforms her into a character from her own book. It’s a double picture: Briony is a character in a book written by Briony, in a book written by McEwan. The movie fails to illustrate this epiphany. McEwan’s masterpiece is not a cheesy romance novel.

I applaud Wright for undertaking a project of such complexity. But undue praise has elevated “Atonement” far beyond its station, yet another Oscar nomination for Best Picture at the expense of demonstrably superior films. Such praise overemphasizes the movie’s cinematography and score, overlooking its failure to take on McEwan’s deeper themes.

ATONEMENT Original NOVEL VERDICT:

*****

FILM Adaptation VERDICT:

***

amandatheeye@gmail.com

A stark contrast to the Marvel superheroes of today IRON MAN DIRECTOR: Jon Favreau

STARRING: Robert Downey Jr., Jeff Bridges, Terence Howard, Gywneth Paltrow, Faran Tahir MPAA: PG-13 Release Date: 30 April 2008 VERDICT:

****

by Jon Cheng With US ticket sales of over $98.6 million over the Labor-Day weekend, “Iron Man” has struck box-office gold. It has been the largest weekend opening ever for a non-sequel film – about $2 million behind the no.1 debut: “Spider Man.” It’s hardly surprising. “Iron Man” has style, wit, humor, and a perfect cast.

The star of the sterling cast is Robert Downey Jr., who plays sarcastic toy-boy Tony Stark, a billionaire weapons manufacturer who flaunts his wealth by bedding a different woman every night (he forgets their names after dating another). Yet he is a flawed, complex character who has an alter ego: a lone, revenge-driven “superhero” who wages vendettas against his enemies.

Stark largely leads a hedonistic lifestyle, sipping martinis and experimenting with new devices in his sleek Santa Monica Beach home. He also has bodyguards, expensive cars, and private-jet that accommodates a team of for-hire pole dancers and tightly-clothed waitresses.

After demonstrating a new testmissile in the middle of nowhere, Stark is captured by a group of Middle-East insurgents who force him to re-build his weapon within three months. He is kept alive by an

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) demonstrates his new weapon

arc-reactor chest piece that prevents metallic shrapnel from infiltrating his heart. Instead of replicating the missile, Stark and his cellmate decide to build him a bulletproof steel suit that can torch enemies with its automatic flamethrower.

Rather implausible, but then again, nothing is more ridiculous than a superhero who can shoot out indestructible webs from his wrist. Or one that can shoot laserbeams out of his eyes and vaguely resembles a bird or plane.

Stark’s escape from the prison camp changes his outlook on his company (and life in general).

Much to the dismay of his mentor, Obadiah Stone (brilliantly played

by Jeff Bridges), he decides that

he has wasted his life, and drops weapons manufacture and selling off the company piece by piece.

Later in the film, Stark’s personal secretary Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) is introduced. She is sweet and brilliant; Stark depends on her as a baby on its baby sitter. In a classic scene between them, Stark confesses that he has “no one else but her.”

True to its Marvel roots, “Iron Man” is sophisticated, like “Batman Begins,” and family friendly like, “Spiderman.” Favreau directs the movie with such precision and perfect comic timing, there’s hardly an awkward moment.

A sequence where Stark tests his steel-suit is ingenious. In a

scene, he admonishes his “robotarm” for dousing him when he’s not on fire – threatening to donate it to City College for research. In another, he almost kills an F18 pilot by showing off the power of his new suit.

Unfortunately, there are plotholes that are large enough for Iron Man to fly through in his Mach-3 suit. And a lackluster climax ensues between Iron Man and Stone (who has built himself a gigantic robot suit based on Stark’s early designs).

“Iron Man” still holds its ground as an enthralling and polished piece. jontheeye@gmail.com

the Eye

by Jon Cheng A self-posed question posted on the Media Development Authority (MDA) website asked: “Why must there be censorship in Singapore?”

Their answer was that censorship “exists to protect the young” and “maintain stability and harmony in our multi-racial and multi-religious society.” 70 percent of respondents said they were satisfied with the censors’ standards, in a survey conducted in 2003.

The MDA was established five years ago to supplement the Board of Film Censors (BFC). One of their key “cornerstones” was to “transform Singapore into a vibrant global media city,” and the other is to “safeguard consumers’ interests.” Its purpose is to regulate media content and decide whether or not it is appropriate for Singaporean audiences.

In 1981, Mel Brook’s musical comedy “History of the World: Part One,” gained notoriety when it previewed in Singapore with 21 cuts

by Board of Film Censors – much to the dismay of viewers here.

Twenty-two years later, in 2003, local filmmaker Royston Tan’s “15” was brutally censored by the BFC with 27 cuts. The censored scenes were of suggestive nature: depiction of Chinese gang members, homoerotic scenes and heavy uses of “Hokkien” language. The Singaporean government frowns on depictions of homosexuality and use of dialect that is non-native to Singapore. Incensed, Tan went on to produce a 12-minute musical of his own – ironically titled “Cut” – that parodies film censorship.

The 12-minute film featured 180 cast members, including director Eric Khoo, and poked fun at the MDA – specifically, Amy Chua, the director of MDA’s Media Content. It featured a long shot of a persistent film-buff who was repeatedly complaining to Tan as she walks through a supermarket. He tells her all the scenes in popular movies that have been left out of the film: those involving graphic sexual innuendos, references of homosexuality, and offensive language. In one scene, the character tells the character playing Ms Chua that her style of censorship was “highly original [and] daring.”

“Cut” was not banned or censored by the MDA, and is now available for viewing on YouTube. Tan said the film was done in spirit of fun, and that he hoped Chua might have a “sense of humor.” At the time of the Straits Times press interview, Chua refused to comment on the musical.

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s t i G N I S ?

A P E I L H E S R R Y O L S L N A E N C I a F i d E e R O m P N A O G N D I L S O H Is A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1972) DIRECTOR: Stanley Kubrick

STATUS: Banned (Singapore)

MONTY PYTHON: life of brian (1979) DIRECTOR: Terry Jones

STATUS: Banned (Singapore)

RAMBO (2008) Director: Sylvester Stallone

Due to time constraints, the Eye was unable to conduct an interview either Khoo or Chua. (Recently, Eric Khoo’s film made the shortlist for this year’s Cannes Film Festival).

As the viewer complaints began to mount, the MDA decided to liberalize its hold on censorship. In 2004, the MDA introduced a new viewing option (M18-Mature 18). A new set of video ratings – Age Advisory 16 and M18 – was implemented to provide more viewing options for “mature” audiences.

But is the MDA really offering more freedom on media censorship?

The Development Authority recently announced that it would be using a new game certification system – PG, M18 – that came into effect on April 28. Games such as the much-awaited “Grand Theft Auto IV,” whose prequels were all banned in Singapore, will be sold here without cuts. “[The new rating system] will help parents make more informed choices are their games their children play,” Chua said in an interview with the Straits Times.

Junior Alex Greene thinks otherwise.

“It doesn’t make a difference what Singapore does,” he said.

“People will always play games that they enjoy no matter what the rating is.”

Despite the relaxed policies, the MDA still keeps a watchful eye on censorship. Recently, the MDA fined StarHub Cable Vision TV $10,000 for showing a scene of lesbians kissing in a commercial for singer Olivia Yan’s new album.

On 13 January 2008, the MDA fined Mediacorp Channel 5 for featuring a gay couple in a Home and Decor Series. “Find and Design” featured the couple who were interested in transforming their room into a nursery for their baby.

The MDA justified their penality, citing that the show ‘promoted’ and ‘glorified’ a gay lifestyle. The total financial penalty amounted to $15,000.

In terms of film media, SAS students still think that censorship is still too restrictive, despite the changes. Movies released here, “Resident Evil: Extinction,” “28 Weeks Later,” “Rambo 4,” were all cut by censors. Even TV shows released on video “The L Word,”

“Nip/Tuck,” are censored to the NC16/M18 level. The critically acclaimed series, “Sex and the City” is yet to be released on video here.

“When I saw ‘Rambo 4’ in a Singapore theater, and then saw it again from a U.S. version, I was shocked to see how much they censored it and still made it M18,” Greene said.

According to the Straits Times, the MDA banned four films at the 21st Singapore International Film Festival.

“Films which potray terrorist organizations in a positive light by lending support and voice to justify their cause through violence are disallowed under film classification guidelines,” Chua said. Among the films banned included content about gay Muslims, interviews about terrorism and “rope-tying” in Japan.

Whether or not the MDA will continue to move in a tolerant direction is yet to be known.

“Movies are primarily works of art. Movie censorship is much like tearing pages out a book – it destroys the beauty and changes the meaning,” junior Alex Hoffer said. jontheeye@gmail.com

STATUS: Violent graphic scenes censored to a M(18) level

HISTORY of the WORLD (1981) DIRECTOR: Mel Brooks

STATUS: 21 cuts (Sinagpore)

AMERICAN WEDDING (2003)

DIRECTOR: Adam Herz

STATUS: Released only in cinemas as R(21) rating, with cuts.

Release on DVD pending

RESIDENT EVIL: extinction (2007)

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April 15, 2008

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the Eye

Celebrating a night of jazz

Clockwise from above: David McKenzie enjoys his band play, Renuka Agarwal tries her hand at singing, Chloe Horowitz sings in the choir. Photos by Malavika Singh

From left: Juvenalia Brito, Priscilla Chan and Gun Tae Woon sing and dance on a makeshift stage. Photo by Malavika Singh

by Amber Bang Excitement was high as the audience trickled in to sit at their elaborately designed place settings shortly before trumpets blared and singers crooned their way through several jazz classics by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and other kings of jazz.

It could hardly be suspected that the

show was anything other than what had been expected since planning for the night began. However, one week before the event, band director Brian Hill received a phone call from home informing him of his father’s sudden illness. Hill took an emergency leave to tend to his father, leaving choir director Nanette Devens in control of

finalizing preparations for Jazz Night.

Both the Jazz Band and SAS Singers had much to finalize for the event.

SeniorAndySzombathy,trombone player, along with saxophone player, junior Michael Jeong, and Noah, a professional musician in Singapore, helped organize the Jazz Band during practices to ensure they would be

prepared for the night of April 18.

“Since Mr. Hill wasn’t here, we all had to realize we had to step up and be more mature about the situation and not skip any of the rehearsals,” Jeong said. “Andy and I both stepped up as leaders, not only sectional leaders, but as leaders of the jazz band as a group. And we made sure everyone came to every single rehearsal.”

Jeong also commented on the pressure to demonstrate that the Jazz Band could perform well even without an instructor.

“Every year we’d have a conductor go up there and help us out [at Jazz Night]. But it showed that we, as a band, could come together as one. It was like we wanted to prove them

wrong - that we could do it without a conductor.”

SAS Singers were also panicked about the obstructions in the schedule beforehand.

“We had the musical festival before, so we had to prepare for two concerts instead of just one, at the same time,” sophomore Stephen Curto said.

Despite the absence of one of the coordinators, the night ran smoothly, and the classic adage “the show must go on” was the subtext of this year’s Jazz Night.

“Jazz Night is like an IASAS for us,” Jeong said. “It was our time to shine and prove that we were good and had worked hard.”

Dance showcase inspired by news

by Hee Soo Chung As images of seniors filled the large screen and Celion Dion’s “Because You Love Me” played from the speakers, teary-eyed dancers hugged each other.

“I realized that the show was really over and I lost it,” senior Caitlin Fay said.

Senior Esther Lukman was one of many who cried at the end of the Dance Showcase.

“It didn’t hit me that dance was over until the end, then it hit me hard,” Lukman said. “I bawled like a baby.”

This year’s showcase, “Extra Extra,” was the last show for seniors.

Eight choreographers, Tina Kirwin, Shih Yiu Liu, Esther Lukman, Abby Murray, Esha Parikh, Calli Scheidt, Evelyn Toh and Emily Woodfield will not return.

“Extra Extra” took its dance themes from the sections of a daily newspaper. Themes ranged from an editorial on obsessive-compulsive disorder to obituaries.

The dance cast of 148 was the largest one that instructor Tracy Van der Linden has worked with.

“It was hard for choreographers because the groups were bigger,” senior Tina Kirwin said. “Some people also dropped dance because they were too busy.”

“Extra Extra” relied more on media than previous shows. Most dances included visuals such

as music videos, pictures and animations in the background.

“When Mrs.V [Van der Linden] was creating the showcase, she wanted to use a lot of technology,” Kirwin said. “She figured that with a newspaper theme, a lot of technology could be used.”

Elliot Miranda, a junior, said that she liked the theme better than last year’s. “The theme was broader and dances were given more room to be creative,” Miranda said.

Girls: last year’s dance Unlike Nora“Extra Hanagan showcase, Extra” included a Padgett sectionErica called ‘Graduation Notices’ Tina seniors Starkey dancing. At the with only Scheidt end ofCalli the last show, dancers made Samhonoring Tierney senior dancers speeches Amberdancers jack who will not and those return next year.

The finale song for “Extra Extra” was unique in that it was a rap written and sung by seniors Josh Smith and Luigi DeGuzman.

With eight out of 12 current choreographers graduating, the SAS dance program may go through some larger than usual changes.

“There is a huge group leaving that has been here for a very long time,” Lukman said. “There will be a huge influx of new styles, which will be refreshing for the audience.”

Evelyn Toh, one of the senior choreographers, didn’t think that dance will be too different without

them.

“It will improve because the dance program always improves,” Toh said. “There is a lot of potential in the underclassmen dancers.”

Kirwin also expressed faith in the underclassmen dancers.

“There were a lot of strong senior dancers, but the underclassmen dancers will be able to step it up next year,” Kirwin said.

Freshmen Erik Lynch said the seniors that are leaving are irreplaceable.

“I’m going to miss every single one of the seniors,” Lynch said.

“There were so many of them, and I think it will be worse without them even though more people are going to join next year.”

Fay said she will miss the community of dancers.

“Dance was basically my life,” Fay said. “Everyone in dance was like a family and they made me happy. I met some of my best friends in dance.”

Kirwin said that the dance program along with the teacher stimulated her to grow and improve as a dancer.

“Mrs.V (Van der Linden) had the biggest influence on me,” Kirwin said. “I will definitely continue dancing in college,” Kirwin said.

“I can’t imagine my life without dance.”

Top: Dancers writhe in a dark piece revolving around obituaries.

Bottom: A dance choreographed by Priyanka Arya. Photos by Malavika Singh

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April 15, 2008

sports 11

Softball girls grab gold, Boys bring back bronze

by Barbara Lodwick Despite rain, pollution, and stiff competition, the Eagles returned from Jakarta triumphant, with gold and bronze around their necks.

The boys lost the first game of the tournament 9-5 against the International School of Manila (ISM) team, the only one of their five IASAS competitors they hadn’t seen.

“We did what we needed to in the first inning, scoring a few quick runs, but couldn’t keep it up long enough to win,” senior David Small said.

Coming off that loss, the Eagles were pumped up and prepared for a fight against Taipei American School (TAS).

“After the morning game, I think the guys knew they were really going to have to pick up their level of play,” coach Will Norris said. “In the Taipei game, their offense and defense was back to our level of expectation.”

The Tigers didn’t stand a chance against the united Eagles front and scored only one run. The Eagles won 16-1.

Friday started with a bang when senior David Small hit a three-run homer in the first inning against the International School of Kuala Lumpur (ISKL) Panthers, giving them a quick lead. Defensive errors led to a disappointing 17-5 loss to ISKL.

Gearing up to play the home differentials and SAS earned a spot so SAS expected a tough game. team is always hard to do, especially in the consolation game. Once again Throughout the game though, the at Jakarta with their infamous drums they faced the home team and a big Panthers showed weak hitting and and incessant cries. Despite consistent crowd. This time it was different a weaker field. SAS walked away pitching by junior Will Hamberlin, though. With big hitting and solid from the first day undefeated 18-2. the Eagles couldn’t squeeze in a run defense, the Eagles grabbed their

So far in the tournament that Friday afternoon and lost not just second win and the bronze medal Taipei showed little promise and the game, SAS walked but also a into their chance at a F r i d a y gold medal, morning 10-0. game with “ T h e confidence.

Jakarta H o w e v e r, game was a different the toughest Taipei team because showed up after we and gave lost, we the Eagles a thought run for their we had money. definitely The Eagles Race to base: Junior Russell Kruetter attempts to beat the runner to the base for an out. lost our managed chance at to come a medal,” senior Hendra Marshall with a 12-8 victory. together and defeated the Tigers said.

The SAS girls started the 7-2.

Saturday morning was an tournament against a home team The afternoon game was against important game because it not only and home crowd. Both SAS and a Manila team the Eagles handled determined whether SAS would play Jakarta had faced each other in the easily during the exchange, but for a medal, due to an upset Friday final for the last two years. This year in those games the Bearcats were evening, and also whether Bangkok JIS presented a strong offensive and missing their starters due to AP would go to the finals. Bangkok defensive front throughout the first mock exams at Manila. came on strong and despite a strong innings, but SAS came through with “We weren’t sure what to expect Eagles defense, won the game 4-0. big hits and flawless defense to win going into the game against Manila.

By a stroke of luck and new their opener 11-7.

Their pitching was weak in the tournament rules, the Eagles were That evening, the Eagles exchange, and the field made a lot caught in a three-way tie with ISM faced ISKL. The Panthers came of errors, but when they got their and TAS. It came down to run to Singapore with a strong team, starters back it made us wonder,”

senior captain Alex Boothe said.

Despite the best efforts of the young Manila team, the Eagles won in five innings, mercy ruling the Bearcats 15-0.

Saturday morning’s game was against a strong but unstable Bangkok team, who lost to Taipei earlier in the tournament.

“Bangkok has some really strong hitters, and their fielding is good.

But they’re still young and can’t pull through sometimes, like in the Taipei game,” junior pitcher Vanessa Peck said.

Bangkok came out with two home runs and gave the Eagles stiff competition. Towards the fourth inning however, the Eagles shut the Panthers down on defense, with power hitting, and came out of round robin undefeated, 15-8.

The championship game was a battle of wills, Bangkok wanted to sweep, since their boys were also in the championship game, and the Eagles were going for three years worth of gold. The game was intense as both teams scored continuously for the first four innings. However, SAS shut down the Panthers in the fifth and kept it going for the rest of the game. The Eagle’s outfield was on point and made flawless catches.

Big hitting and tough defense led the Eagles to their third straight gold medal, 16-10. barbara.theeye@gmail.com

by Alex Lim The SAS boy’s badminton team’s 2008 IASAS campaign got off to a rough start even before the tournament began. The Eagles lost their best player, sophomore Wilson Hassan, to a knee injury. Hassan had minor surgery on the injury a week before IASAS. Hassan’s absence from the Eagles’ lineup elevated senior Brian Riady to Hassan’s role as the team’s first singles player. Riady had previously missed half the regular season with a torn ligament in his left ankle.

“The injury prevented me from gaining valuable game experience during the regular season.” Riady said. “It was a tough adjustment to make.”

The first day of the tournament proved to be a disappointing one.

Both Riady and second singles player, junior Kyle Carbon lost their opening matches in straight sets.

Third singles player, junior Shen

Wei started promisingly, almost taking the opening set of his match, before eventually falling 22-20, 21-8. The doubles teams of Ben Ramli, Josh Wolf, Ben Charoenwong and Michael Jeong managed to salvage two wins; however, SAS would ultimately lose to Manilla, 4 sets to 6.

It would only get worse as the Eagles were rocked 10 sets to 0 in their next matchup against Taipei, the defending champions from a year ago. SAS would struggle against their remaining opponents, as they failed to win a single match.

“I thought we would do well [going into IASAS],” Jeong said. “We were pretty successful during the previous exchange.”

first match against Jakarta. Second singles player, junior Neha Sethi provided a brief spark, winning the first set of her match against Shino Komatsu, 21 – 18, but then promptly dropped the last two sets, 12 – 21, 18-21. The rest of the team would fail to win a set and SAS lost 10 sets to 1.

Sethi would prove to be one of the few high points of the week as she won 3 of her 5 matches. With the exception of the doubles tandem of Slaven and junior Julia Tan, no other Eagles player managed to log a win throughout the tournament.

The Eagles would end the week tying in 5th place, finishing with a record of 0-5 – a stark contrast to the eventual champions, TAS. The Tigers dominated the tournament, winning all their matches en route to an impressive 5-0 record. alexlim.theeye@gmail.com

Badminton girls clinch 5th place, boys come in 6th The Eagles’ 0-5 record They The Eagles finished in a disappointing last place finish. For most of the players, the following months would provide time for reflection as well as an opportunity to look forward to next season.

“It was a season filled with twists and turns.” Riady Top(L to R): Connor Liu, Michael Jeong, Kyle Carbon, Joshua Wolf, said. “It’s hard to predict how the team will do next year but Brian Riady, Benyamin Ramli, Ben Charoenwong, Shen Wei Lai I hope for the best.”

While injuries slowed down the boys, the girl’s team was stymied by a lack of experience. Two tennis players – sophomore Sarah Slaven and junior Cindy Zu – were recruited to round out a team that had only one senior, Carissa Teng, on the roster.

The girls got off to a Top (L to R): Daphnie Shim, Sarah Slaven, Given Lee, Carissa sluggish start, losing their Teng, Julia Tan, Lordes Santos, Neiha Sethi, Cindy Zu

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April 15, 2008

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Softball Stats

Boys break records and bring it home

By Alex Lim The SAS boy’s track and field team entered the final IASAS tournament of the season confident of a gold medal finish. By the end of the week, the Eagles would validate the high expectations that had been placed on them since the start of the season.

“We knew we were going to win starting from the first day of practice,” sophomore Max Shaulis said.

The boys began their assault on the gold with the 4 x 800 and the 4 x 100 meter relay teams both placing first in their respective events. Junior Alex Finch finished second in the triple jump, while fellow junior Evan Shawler finished fourth in the Boys 3000 - meter run.

The second day of the tournament started with senior Barron Witherspoon winning the long jump. Witherspoon and Shaulis also placed third and fourth respectively in the boy’s 200-meter dash, while

BOYS 1.) ISKL 2.) ISB 3.) SAS ALL TOURNAMENT David Small Russell Kreutter GIRLS 1.) SAS 2.) ISB 3.) ISKL

Senior Sunny Han runs his leg of the race.

sophomore Alexis Lauzon finished second in the 400-meter hurdles. The 1600-meter sprint medley relay team of Robertson, Finch, Shaulis and Shawler then capped a successful day by finishing first in their respective events.

The Eagles finished the last day

Sophomore Blake Peters bolts out of his starting blocks.

of the tournament in spectacular fashion. Witherspoon shattered a 14-year old record, finishing the 110-meter hurdles in 14.89 seconds.

The previous record of 15.08 seconds was held by Masataka Fukushima of the Jakarta International School.

“As soon as I crossed the finish

line, I knew that I had broken the record, I could not even bring myself to words,” Witherspoon said.

“Nothing else mattered.”

The boys would finish in first place, winning by a margin of 12 and a half points.

Déjà vu: girls miss gold by one point

ALL TOURNAMENT: Barbara Lodwick Brooke McManigal Vanessa Peck Alex Boothe

Badminton stats BOYS 1.) TAS 2.) ISB 3.) JIS 4.) ISKL 5.) ISM 6.) SAS GIRLS 1.) TAS 2.) ISM 3.) ISB 4.) JIS 5.) ISKL, SAS

Track Stats BOYS: Gold- SAS Silver- ISB Bronze- ISM GIRLS: Gold- TAS Silver- SAS Bronze- ISM RECORDS SET: Barron Witherspoon- 110m hurdles

Senior Elizabeth Stocking ran the 4x400 meter relay with Annie Lydens, Nora Hanagain,Tolley St. Clair.

by Alex Lim The track and field competition left the SAS girl’s team with a sense of deja vu, and ruing missed opportunities. Having performed superbly over the three days, the girls had to settle for second, after missing first place by one point for a second consecutive year.

The girls started strongly on the first two days, with junior Erin

The Agarwal sisters, Renuka (senior) and Radika (freshman) lead the pack in the girls 3000m.

Morris winning the girl’s javelin and discus throw. The 4x800 and 4x100-meter relay teams were also successful, finishing second and first respectively. Junior V icki Williamson won the triple jump, while junior Annie Lydens and freshman Linda Kim came in second and third in the 800-meter run.

The final day of the tournament proved pivotal for the Eagles. The

Junior Erin Morris shows off her gold medal. Morris won gold in both the girls javelin and discus throw.

race for first place would come down to the 4x400-meter relay, where the team of Lydens, Nora Hanagan, Tolley St. Clair and Elisabeth Stocking came in second by a fraction of a second.

“It was disappointing especially since we lost in similar fashion last year,” St. Clair said.

The discouraging end to the tournament is not dampening the

girls’ outlook for next season.

“We will win it next year,” St. Clair said.d.

“It was disappointing especially since we lost in similar fashion last year,” St Clair said.

The discouraging end to the tournament is not dampening the girls’ outlook for next season.

“We will win it next year,” St Clair said.

Four-Year IASAS Participant: Renuka Agarwal

Track and field athletes were accompanied by a retinue of parents; L to R: Timothy Peters, Jakarta coach Gene , Raju Shaulis, Karen Witherspoon, Christopher Procida, Gail Hanagan, Risa St. Clair, juniorTolley St. Clair, James St. Clair, Anne Stocking.